


Shifted Alliances

by TheSilentChloey



Series: Fire Emblem Alternate Universes [33]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Clueless Chrom, Crazy Antics, Cute, Cute Kids, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Redemption, F/M, Father Chrom, Future Lucina, Grima's redemption, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lots of cute kids, Major Character(s), Male Gimurei | Grima, Original Character(s), Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Redemption, Robin is Grima, Seriously too many cute kids, Slow Build, Smol Grima
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:06:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentChloey/pseuds/TheSilentChloey
Summary: Chrom somehow managed to get Grima...before he became the evil dragon everyone blames him as being.  Chrom's mission is simple.  Try to raise Grima to be the dragon he was meant to be...his own.  But how does one raise a child with PTSD?  The short answer, it takes time and no one is truly perfect.
Relationships: Brady & Lucina (Fire Emblem), Chrom & Emerina | Emmeryn, Chrom & Gimurei | Grima, Chrom & Liz | Lissa, Chrom & Lucina (Fire Emblem), Chrom & My Unit | Reflet | Robin
Series: Fire Emblem Alternate Universes [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/997092
Comments: 41
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue: Twisted Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ViolinCameos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolinCameos/gifts).



> Okay, so I know a few people are wondering where this came from, if you've read Father Gothel, well that inspired this fic. Plus I wanted to surprise everyone with something fun XD

_The man sighed heavily through his nose, and gently knelt to the Fell Dragon's level, "Just because you_ can _do something doesn't mean that you should." He said calmly, feeling the weight of Falchion at his side and the realisation hitting him, having saved the dragon's life from the deranged man who'd just tried to kill them both. To be honest, Chrom didn't know why he did it, '_ Maybe _,' the traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind, '_ This is all about Robin, and the fact he never reappeared and was lost to time entirely because he's bound to the fell dragon and that's the only way you'll ever possibly get him back _.' Chrom halted the thought, beholding the barely-larger-than-a-puppy infant Fell Dragon. Grima did look...kind of cute in his own weird way. If one was able to ignore the fact Grima would grow up to have a murderous rampage against humanity...which begged the question, how such an innocent- no he wasn't- and yet...he was._

_The dragon had his thumb-spike in his mouth and was presently sucking on it like a toddler would their thumb. Chrom sighed through his nose once more, and Grima presently ceased sucking on the spike,_

_"Why?" He asked as if it were the most natural question in the world and Chrom had to admit it was a fair question. How best to answer was difficult but eventually Chrom settled for the truth,_

_"Because while it might be possible to say, bring someone back from the dead, you wouldn't do that because…" Chrom looked at the Fell Dragon. He couldn't help but see a child, "Death...is a part of life, and one cannot exist without the other." Chrom avoided looking at the dead body of the man he'd killed, even in madness like that, Chrom saw part of_ **_his_ ** _father, a man so hyper focused on his goal nothing else mattered, not even the lives that had been brought into the world as a result. No, Chrom would not be his father. If he had the chance, that he could change the way Grima saw humans...to show that not all monsters were humans…_

_Grima seemed to frown, "But why?" He asked and Chrom noticed the confused expression on the dragon's face,_

_"I know it's confusing, but as long as people have power and only use it when needs must, it maintains peace in the world."_

_Grima tilted his head, "Then you only fought back because you had to?"_

_Chrom was surprised by how quickly Grima caught on, "Yes. Had I been able to reason with him, well the outcome would have been quite different. At least I would hope it were so."_

_There was a beat of silence and then Grima spoke, "Why...do I feel like I know you?"_

_Chrom frowned, "I don't think we do. I'm Chrom, by the way. What's your name?"_

_Grima tilted his head, "I don't have one...I am the Creation."_

_Chrom frowned, "Everyone has a name, surely you do too."_

_Grima tilted his head, "The creator always called me 'the Creation'."_

_Chrom wondered who called the dragon Grima then. He sighed through his nose for the third time, "Well then, how about we find you a name. One that you will like."_

_Grima hummed softly._

~*~

Chrom woke to a headache the likes of which he'd never had before. It was like he'd hit his head against some sort of blunt object and a continuous pounding. He could barely move and felt a weight on his chest. He sighed softly. Lucina was always climbing into his bed and sleeping on his chest and…

He froze when he realised he was on stone, and that sand was beneath him. His eyes snapping open as he saw a semi naked albino child on his chest, the child had pointed manakete ears and as Chrom slowly drunk in the details of the soft delicate face, hidden away in chubby cheeks, small hands and long white eyelashes. The child was clinging to his shirt like the world depended on it and pressed between them was a dark coloured dragonstone. If he didn't know any better he'd assume that he'd indeed found a child version of Robin- gods knew the small boy looked almost identical to the tactician, if Robin was shrunk down to being a child once more. Chrom frowned as he carefully maneuvered his body as not to jostle the sleeping child. He was in some ruins of a sort and…

He blinked as the familiar ethereal figure of Naga appeared, Chrom could feel his mind bursting with questions, many of them relating to what happened as Naga calmly stood beside him, "Awakener." Her voice was soft but it carried, echoing the cavern,

"N-naga…" Chrom gasped out and she gently brushed the sleeping child's head,

"Heed me, for now a mistake can be fixed, I have managed to help Grima into a more human form, perhaps you can do what I couldn't."

"What...do you mean?" Chrom asked the ethereal goddess, and she sighed softly,

"I had thought keeping him from Medeus would have spared him the suffering my own child went through. Though Grima was created by man, he is still a dragon. It pained me to only be able to seal him away and not fix the wrongs...but...a Grima proved that with the right guidance, it is possible to save them. And so I needed a champion who understood that violence for the sake of violence is wrong." Chrom blinked and looked at the child in his arms,

"Then what…?"

She used her magic and Chrom blinked as familiar clothing appeared into existence over the child's body, "As the fire emblem needs a guardian, so too, does Grima. Please guide him...he...he has the potential to protect the world in the right hands, and the power to stop Medeus' return."

Chrom gasped, "Didn't Marth stop Medeus?!" Chrom cried,

"For a time, yes, but Medeus' life force remains. He will rise once more as the Dark Sphere will corrupt another." Naga explained, "I realise my past mistakes but I cannot do more than this. I will return you both, please Awakener guide him down the path of light…" Naga began to fade and Chrom froze,

"WAIT!" He cried as the world started to change, the child sleeping in his arms not even stirring as the very place he was shifted. Whatever Naga had planned...this wasn't what Chrom anticipated at all...


	2. Chapter 1: Grima's new Home.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we finally got another chapter. Smol Grima is cute. Also snuck in a Claymore reference lol.

The light of the sun shining on the field in Southtown greeted Chrom and his sleeping charge, who weighed next to nothing for the Exalt in his arms and that worried him due to the size of Grima, especially since a child of his size should have weighed a fair bit more than what he did. Though Chrom had to admit the weight wasn't the only thing that worried him. The fact that Grima was so convincing in appearance to that of a child version of Robin was even more disconcerting to say the least. It took all of the willpower that Chrom had to not drop the fell dragon and leave him there. Naga's words still echoing in his ears. As it stood Chrom held no desire to take care of…

A low moan told him that the fell dragon was waking up and Chrom froze as his 'charge' woke, eyes wide. It was with wide ruby coloured eyes that Grima regarded Chrom. He didn't speak for several seconds, gripping the dark dragon stone in his small hands looking for all the world as if he were figuring out his next move in a very Robin-esk way. At first the pair simply looked at one another for several seconds until Grima tilted his head, blinking at Chrom. A low sigh escaped the Exalt. Grima's head tilted again in the opposite direction.

"I don't bite you know." Chrom said after several more seconds of being given the "staring" treatment.

"...you are like Mar-Mar." Grima simply stated, a child-like voice surprising Chrom before the man reminded himself that Grima’s body was that of a young child, so of course there would be the higher pitch in his voice.

"You know who Marth is?" It was a question he'd not meant to ask but his shock at hearing Tiki's nickname for the Hero King threw Chrom for a loop. Grima was quick to tilt his head,

"Why wouldn't I know Mar-Mar?" It was an innocent question and Chrom sighed,

"Right...sorry."

Grima frowned, "Humans are weird." He declared after a moment and Chrom wondered how he was going to explain all of the changes to the small boy.

"I'm pretty sure there would be a few people who wouldn't like to hear that." Chrom couldn't help the chuckle and Grima looked thoughtful,

"Why?" He asked,

"Well…" Chrom frowned, before deciding on the simplest answer, "Some people, actually most people tend to try and avoid saying things that might hurt others feelings."

Grima frowned, "But why?" He asked and Chrom noticed the exact same expression that Robin had whenever he was confused,

"It would be like someone saying you're weird, even if you think you're not." Chrom said, "You wouldn't like it, right?"

Grima pouted, "I'm not weird!" He pulled off the indignant Robin look very well. A little too well dare Chrom think about it.

"Which is why I said you wouldn't like it." Chrom said calmly,

"Oh." Grima hummed, the explanation satisfactory with the more obvious example.

Chrom had only taken about a step, half a step when Grima spoke, "Where are we? This isn't Altea, but it's as pretty."

Chrom chuckled softly, "We're in Ylisse."

"Ylisse?" Grima pulled a very Robin like face again. Honest Chrom shouldn't have been surprised. He should have…

"Yes, Ylisse." Chrom said calmly, and Grima hummed,

"So then...where's Archenea?" Grima asked curiously. Chrom was surprised that Grima was so talkative but he supposed that it couldn't hurt.

"Well you see, a long time ago, Ylisse used to be Archanea, but that is now the name given to the whole continent instead."

Grima blinked, "Oh." He replied and Chrom could see more questions bubbling under the surface, but it seemed that Grima wasn't going to say anything else.

Chrom had to jinx it, "Say, Mister…" Grima began and Chrom hummed softly, "Where are we going?"

"Ylisstol." Chrom replied and Grima hummed,

"So then…?"

"Naga asked me to look after you." Chrom explained, and Grima's head tilted,

"Oh." He replied. That seemed to calm him down, "So you know Titi too?"

It dawned on Chrom that he had a lot to understand when it came to Grima.

"Tiki?" He guessed, and Grima grinned,

"That's what Mar-Mar calls Titi too." The innocent child-like smile threw Chrom a moment and he noticed the city wasn't too far,

"Hungry, Robin?" Chrom asked unthinkingly and Grima seemed to brighten up even more,

"Uh huh!" And the familiar yet different eager expression crossed Grima's face, before he looked thoughtful, "Did Naga tell you my name Mister?"

If it was possible for him to be shocked, he would have, instead he spoke honestly,

"You reminded me of a friend of mine," Grima tilted his head, "A very...close friend."

Grima looked far older than a young child for the moment and he spoke, "Ah, I see." It was quiet for a few seconds and eventually Grima spoke, "Why is there smoke?"

Chrom tensed, "Oh gods!" He looked up and saw an unwelcome sight. He saw Grima frown,

"We need to help them!" Grima cried suddenly and Chrom looked at Grima, "I know how to use magic, Mister Merric, Miss Linde, Miss Katarina taught me how and Mister Kris taught me the basics on using a sword too."

Chrom hesitated, but ultimately decided they didn't have a choice, "Stay behind me and don't get too far, we could be dealing with some very dangerous bandits." Chrom warned.

"Right." Grima said and the pair ran towards the town.

They entered into a scene of chaos.

Thankfully Chrom spotted his sister, " **Lissa**!" Chrom called,

" **CHROM**!" Lissa cried,

" **Look out**!" Grima cried, suddenly throwing his dragonstone up.

A dark flower burst into being and opened to reveal him, his horns a _lot_ shorter than his fully grown form. His long snake-body was being held afloat by three wings with dark purple feathers, each wing flapping to a clear rhythm. His body was a dark grey, and his teeth were less prominent. He _looked_ like a baby dragon compared to Nowi and while Chrom tried to process what was going on, Grima launched himself upwards and let out a blast of what had to be magic. A familiar and sickening dark magic...

The bandit who'd been trying to sneak towards Lissa was hit and he glared at the dragon as it did substantial damage by Chrom's best guess, " **Robin**!" Chrom yelled and Grima barely rolled out of the way of an arrow,

" ** _Checkmate_** _!_ " The little dragon said and Chrom saw flames surrounding his relatively tiny body, he'd not realised that _Ignis_ was already one of Grima's skills...

"Oh shit…" Chrom muttered and sure enough, Expiration blasted the bandit to nothing. Grima reverted to his human form and Chrom launched himself to catch Grima as the young dragon and his stone plummeted to earth from his spot in the air. Luckily Chrom caught the panting dragon, "Robin…" Grima looked down as Lissa and the rest of the Shepherds had taken care of the rest of the bandits, Grima still refused to look up, "Thank you."

Grima looked up, shock evident in his features, "But I did a bad." Grima said quietly.

"While it is bad to kill someone," Chrom began, "Sometimes you don't get a choice. Sometimes people will hurt you, with the intention of killing you or others."

"So then he was a bad person?" Gods bless this little dragon. It ached Chrom's heart to have almost the exact same conversation Frederick had with Robin. Still it was one that couldn't be helped,

"In a way yes." Chrom agreed, "In that he chose to hurt others for personal gain." Grima looked at his stone, gripping it and like Robin lost in thought, "I'm sorry."

Grima looked up shocked, "Why?!" The little Fell Dragon looked shocked,

"I should have noticed he was there and taken care of him so you didn't have to hurt anyone." Chrom replied,

"But…" Grima looked conflicted.

"Chrom!" Lissa called and he sighed,

"We'll talk about this after, there are people who need our help." Chrom promised Grima and he nodded bravely. Chrom's voice died as he saw his sisters coming towards him. The words died on his lips, as he saw their worried faces as well as the rest of the Shepherds beyond them having arrived as quickly as they could.

"Chrom?" Lissa's unspoken question made Chrom look at Grima briefly as he figured out how to best explain everything. Something must have shown on his face as Lissa came carefully side stepping the dead bandit, "You guys okay?"

"I think Robin's a little shaken." Chrom said and Lissa blinked but an expression passed between them,

"Hey, Robin. I'm Chrom's sister, Lissa."

Grima sniffed the air, briefly, "The smoke's going." He said quietly and Chrom pat the dragon's head.

Once the town was fixed up as best they could, Chrom sat down to a meal with the Shepherds who happened to be in Southtown, the future version of his daughter Lucina, his sisters Lissa and Emmeryn who had been regaining her memories at a slow pace, Frederick, Miriel, Ricken, Vaike and Lon'qu.

They all listened as Chrom explained what happened with Naga as Grima was quietly crunching his way through the roast chicken the innkeeper had given him to eat. Grima looked up briefly, "So in other words, Naga wants us to keep him out of trouble." Lucina said looking over the Fell Dragon who so happened to have the leg dangling out of his mouth, having paused in mid bite. It took a couple of seconds, and Grima seemed to be sniffing softly before pushing the plate back towards them,

"You can eat that. We're not going hungry for your sake." Chrom nudged the plate back at Grima. He looked awed but soon tucked into the food with gutso. Lucina looked to Chrom and he noticed an almost sad expression cross her face,

"I don't understand." She looked at him, crunching away at the food, her voice soft, "Just what kind of treatment…"

Chrom sighed, "Robin...was like this too, when we met our tactician." Chrom replied, and seeing Grima devour the food certainly harked back to that night in the woods. Lissa spoke,

"Yeah." She agreed, "It is familiar."

Grima by this point had cleaned the plate and proceeded to lick his fingers. Clearly he _liked_ what he'd eaten. It was a very familiar scene. The resemblance to Robin was so much so that Chrom was finding it difficult to distinguish between them.

' _He is as he was. Grima was once Robin but a dark sorcerer corrupted him, in a way I am to blame for allowing it to happen. Had I the wisdom of Anankos, maybe it wouldn't have happened_.' Naga's voice whispered and Chrom started, and he noticed that Grima was asleep in the chair. They paid for the meal and Chrom carefully picked up the small manakete, leading to Lissa grinning,

"He's so cute." Lissa said softly and Chrom had to agree,

"Let's go home." He said and Emmeryn smiled,

"Yes…" She replied and Chrom felt hopeful that they would be able to prove beyond doubt that fate could be changed.


	3. Chapter 2: Beginnings

Chrom had carried Grima almost as far as the Shepherds camp before he woke from the food induced slumber. Grima yawned and stretched, nearly dropping his dragonstone in the process. He gripped it and seemed...almost scared. Chrom wasn't sure why at first until he saw Tiki come towards them.

"Titi…?" Grima asked from his place in Chrom's arms, eyes wide. Tiki looked shocked,

"Robin?!" She cried and Grima blinked,

"How you get so big Titi?" He asked and the Shepherds looked between them as Tiki came forwards and pulled the small manakete into a hug, shoulders shaking,

"Oh, R-Robin…" She sniffled,

"Titi, why are you crying?" Grima asked looking stressed at the obvious pain his friend was in, and Tiki couldn't help her sobs, "Titi? Please don't cry...p-please…" Chrom saw tears starting to run down Grima's cheeks and he couldn't help himself, holding the two manaketes as they cried, Grima clearly crying because of Tiki.

It took a while, Tiki sobbing helplessly as Grima gripped both friend and dragonstone in confusion. Crying because it clearly hurt him to see a friend upset. Only when she gained enough of her composure did she speak, "Robin, I can't believe it...it's really you." She sniffled, "After so long…"

"Titi?" Grima looked confused, and Tiki looked sad,

"Much has changed." Tiki explained, "You are...a dragon displaced by time."

Grima frowned, "Displaced...by time?"

Tiki nodded sadly, "Yes. It pains me to say it, but that's what has happened."

Grima looked to Chrom, and back to Tiki, "Then…" his voice wavered, "Mar-Mar...Miss Katarina...Mister Merric...Miss Linde...and Mister Kris are...are…" Chrom could feel Grima shaking and he firmly held the young dragon in his arms as Tiki looked set to cry again, and her voice was thick with emotion,

"They have gone where we cannot follow."

The wail of despair that hit the night air was a cry unlike anything Chrom had ever heard, but despair he understood. It was like him, three years prior, his scream of seeing Robin 'dying' before his eyes. Chrom held Grima and the young dragon clutched at Chrom like his life depended on it. Tiki was crying as Grima's anguish was too much, even for her to bear.

Chrom could scarcely imagine what it would be like. Grima was just a child, and yet...unlike a child he _knew_ what death meant. He _knew_ exactly what Tiki had said without her stating it explicitly.

In truth, Chrom had a feeling what it was like, as manaketes aged differently to humans. Tiki was herself as a child when Marth lived, and had grown into her current state nearly two thousand years after Marth's death. It pained Chrom to think about it. If what he knew of the stories held a grain of truth…

Someone had taken advantage of a grief struck child.

Chrom had seen first hand just how _powerful_ Grima was. Anyone who wanted that kind of power for evil would do _anything_ for it. Even faking kindness to get what they wanted.

Chrom wasn't much of a strategist that was Robin's domain, but even he could tell how seemingly easily Grima could be manipulated in his current state. The paternal instincts in Chrom rose in indignant fury. Fury that someone would corrupt a child like that. He looked at Lucina and he noticed that Grima seemed to be tense, until Chrom gently stroked the dragon's head, rage cooling as he did so and sadness for the child taking its place.

Chrom would never be able to replace what Grima had lost. But if he could prove one thing to the fell dragon, that not all humans were evil...that was all he'd ask.

~*~

Their arrival to the castle in Ylisstol was uneventful, Chrom had Grima's hand in his own and they passed a bakery Robin loved. In a spur of the moment Chrom guided Grima inside. The smells of warm freshly cooked cakes, cookies and loaves hit their noses and the baker was singing happily, stopping the moment he saw them, "Milord, what a pleasure!" The young man said grinning, "Th' usual?" He asked grinning at Grima who seemed to be quite shy and ducked behind Chrom's leg,

"Actually, I was hoping you might have a couple chocolate cookies."

The baker smiled, "For the young one?" He said, "'E looks like Sir Robin, dare I say."

Grima poked out from behind Chrom's leg, "My name is Robin…" he said shyly and the baker grinned at the young dragon,

"Well then have these cookies on th' house young Robin."

Grima looked wide eyed, and hesitantly took the cookies, "Th-thank you…"

The baker chuckled and said, "It's nothin' young Sir. 'Sides it's good t' see well-mannered youngsters like you."

Grima ducked behind Chrom's leg again and Chrom spoke with the baker, "Thanks again."

The baker hummed, "It's all good. In fact I'm glad my treats bring smiles t' everyone's faces. It's sad about what happened t' Sir Robin, but 'e lives on in everyone's memories."

Chrom felt Grima's grip tighten and the baker wished them well as they left, Frederick in a near panic until he saw them. Grima still held Chrom's hand and his cookies in the other. Frederick sighed in relief upon seeing them,

"Ah, there you are Milord." Frederick smiled, "I've taken the liberty of clearing away all of the pebbles and-"

"Excuse me, Mister…" Grima spoke up, voice soft and Frederick blinked. Even Chrom was surprised seeing Grima talking to someone other than Chrom or Tiki of his own volition,

"Please, just call me Frederick." The knight said gently, "Everyone does."

Grima frowned, "Mister Frederick." The dragon said after a moment, "Sorry for scaring you."

The pair blinked in surprise, "It's quite alright." Frederick smiled, "I knew both of you were safe. It's a force of habit to make sure everyone is safe." He explained and Grima seemed to be less depressed.

~*~

When they arrived at the castle Grima was stopping every three steps or so, clearly wanting to see everything, awe on his face much like Robin when he first arrived. Chrom patiently let the young manakete have the time he needed to take it all in, Lucina was near them. Servants moved around and some saw Grima and paused a bit long before they left swiftly and Chrom knew that there would be gossip.

A child who looked like Robin screamed the tactician having had a mistress after all. Though the resemblance could have been passed off as a relative as well.

Chrom sighed as they finally came to the main entrance of the throne room, and the guards immediately moved aside, bowing respectfully to Chrom, "Sire." The one on the left spoke, "Councillor Themis wishes to speak with you."

"Of course, let him know I'll see him in the drawing room."

The men bowed as Chrom took Grima to the drawing room.

Chrom arrived and let Grima's hand go, and to the surprise of all present Grima made a beeline to Robin's favourite chair and quietly sat in the chair, so comically small his feet were off the ground, but he looked happier than Chrom had seen him since he was told his friends were essentially dead. Grima spoke, "Thank you." He said quietly before deciding to eat his cookies. Chrom saw his face light up at his first bite and Chrom smiled softly. The more things changed the more they stayed the same.

"You're welcome Robin." He said as the door opened to reveal his wife, Maribelle with little Lucina,

"I heard we had a new addition." Maribelle said pointedly and Grima flinched slightly, regarding Maribelle warily as she set Lucina on one of the chairs and said, "I don't know the full circumstances, just heresy."

Chrom sighed, "It's somewhat of a long story but Naga is involved."

Maribelle hummed, understanding immediately what he was saying, "I see."

Grima tilted his head and spoke, "Tiny heart beat…" he said and Chrom and Maribelle looked at him surprised,

"What do you mean Robin?" Chrom asked and Grima carefully set his bag of cookies on the side table beside the chair he was sitting in,

"Tiny heart beat." He said, his hands moving as if he was trying to explain what he was saying, "Fast tiny heart beat."

At that moment realisation hit both of them and then Maribelle spoke, "I'm impressed. You didn't actually mention it Chrom, did you?"

"No one else knew." Chrom confirmed, "And I have a feeling Robin here didn't know either, until now it seems."

Grima tilted his head, "Know what?" He asked, confused. They were about to explain when there was a knock on the door,

"May I come in?" The Duke of Themis asked, and Chrom hastened to let his father in law in. He saw the small manakete in Robin's chair and smiled gently, then he sighed, "I bring dire news from the border I'm afraid."

Chrom sighed, "How...how bad?"

Maribelle's father sighed, "Risen have been sighted."

Grima tensed, "Who...who summoned them?" He looked terrified and Chrom shared a look with Maribelle,

"You know what risen are, Robin?" He asked and Grima let out a low whine, discomfort clearly on his face,

"Creator...killed so many...so many crying in pain, begging for mercy but…" Grima was trembling close to tears. Chrom sighed,

"I see." He said and he gently pat the dragon's head, "It's alright, Robin," he turned to the Duke, "Have our forces managed to keep the people safe?"

"Sir Henry and Lady Tharja's battalions have done as best they can to mitigate the impact. We believe it is dark magic that is raising the risen."

Grima still looked uneasy and Chrom sighed, "Well at least we've got them contained."

The Duke nodded, "That we have." He replied while Grima kept whining softly, "It won't take long to clear them out."

"But...they won't go until you break their link with their summoner." Grima said shivering, "The summoner can't be too far away or they'll lose control of them." Grima said, shrinking into the chair.

"We didn't know that, but we did know that they're able to be cut down." Chrom explained and Grima shook his head,

"Mmm, mmm, they don't. They'll keep reappearing until the bond with the summoner is severed." Grima said, "Even if the summoner dies, their quintessence will sustain the r-r-risen until the quintessence runs out."

Shock filled the room and Chrom frowned, "How long?" He asked and Grima looked almost scared,

"A long time." He said softly, "However much mana it cost to summon the r-r-risen."

Chrom gently took Grima’s hand in his, "So if a dark mage wanted to summon them, they continue to reappear?" Grima nodded, "Okay, so do you know how we break the bond, Robin?" He asked gently and Maribelle looked worried,

"I don't know…" Grima said in a small voice, "But...I _think_ you need to stop the spell."

Chrom pat Grima's head again, "Thank you Robin." He sighed, "Maybe Henry or Tharja might be able to help us as well."

Grima seemed uneasy and Chrom didn't blame him. He didn't like talking about the risen either. "Of course, we have much to do then." The Duke of Themis said, "I assume this young manakete is under the protection of House Ylisse?"

"What's a manakete?" Grima asked and the Duke blinked,

"My dear boy, that is what we call the dragonkin." He explained, "You require a dragonstone to change into a Draconic form yes?"

"Uh huh. Mar-Mar and Titi said I should never let my stone get lost." Grima replied,

"And very wise words they have given." The Duke said, then his expression softened, "Of course I must admit, I almost swore I was seeing young Sir Robin at first."

Grima blinked and Chrom sighed, "Sir...Robin? A knight?" He asked and Chrom sighed,

"A dear friend who gave his life to secure peace. Not quite a knight, a tactician."

Grima perked up, "Miss Katarina wanted to be a tactician too." He then looked almost sad, "She was going to teach me how, but..."

Chrom spoke, "We still have some of his books, if you know how to read."

Grima looked up, eyes wide and Chrom saw a hopeful expression on his face, "I can?!" He asked, tone bordering on excitement. Chrom felt a smile,

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind." In truth seeing Grima light up like that…

It reminded him so much of Robin whenever anyone got him going about tactics and strategies.


	4. Chapter 3: Vicious Cycle.

Grima sat patiently waiting for Chrom, not wanting to distract the man who was clearly busy. Grima had a tome in his lap and had been reading it. There were dog eared pages and notes in the margins. For him, it was a treasure trove of tactical knowledge, though there were some words that he couldn't quite understand. He recalled being told it was rude to interrupt people, but he also didn't know the word and it was showing up more than a few times. Still he knew humans valued time and he spoke, "Excuse me, Chrom." The man jolted, slightly but seemed relieved it was just Grima,

"What's wrong Robin?" Chrom asked calmly, and Grima carefully held the tome and hopped off from his chair and brought it over and opened to the page,

"I don't recognise this word." Grima said pointing to the word in question,

"Ah. That's Plegian." Chrom explained, "At least I think it is. We'll have to see if Henry or Tharja know more."

Grima sighed and closed the tome, "Okay." He replied. He noticed that Chrom had a lot of papers on his desk and he frowned, "Why do humans have so much paper to run a kingdom?"

Chrom chuckled, "That's something I never understood either. They say it's to keep everything organised."

"I guess." Grima replied, then he sighed, "I think I should do some magic training." He'd sat around with tactics long enough, it was time for some practical experience.

"Now?" Chrom asked and Grima nodded,

"Uhuh, if I want to make sure I protect everyone, I've got to." An odd unexplainable expression crossed Chrom's face, as if Grima had said something strange. Chrom however said,

"Miriel should be able to help with that. She and Ricken are our resident mages." Grima grinned, at least Ylisse was smart enough to keep mages. He then frowned, Chrom however rose from his desk, "I can show you where the training grounds are."

"Thank you." Grima replied. And he followed Chrom.

They arrived at the training grounds just as Ricken was finishing up brushing his mount. Grima was in awe. Of course Ricken looked up at the arrival of Chrom and waved.

"Simply edifying." A feminine voice said and Grima saw a woman with short auburn hair and red glasses. She had a quill in hand and was making notes in the book she was carrying. Grima tilted his head,

"What is?" He asked curiously. She jolted and he sighed, "Sorry, I didn't realise that you were busy."

The woman blinked and spoke, "On the contrary I am simply recording the various effects mana has on spells."

"Oh, like how magical elements favour specific mages and won't work tomeless unless the mage is capable of harmonising with the spell framework."

The shock on her face was something but she seemed to be excited almost, "Interesting, pray, where did you learn this?"

Grima frowned, "I don't know. I think...creator maybe? But Alchemy is a far cry from magic."

"The pursuit of immortality?"

"Uh, uh." Grima corrected, "Alchemy is an ancient science. The alchemists don't just look at immortality, they focus on the elements of everything, synthesising elements to make new things," He drew a breath, "With the right materials you could create life...like me." He looked at his right hand and Chrom seemed uneasy, "But that kind of Alchemy is bad. Bad enough to be hated."

Silence followed his words and Chrom spoke, "Are you guys still training, Robin here was looking for some time to work on his magic and-"

"Yeah, we'll look after him." Ricken said with a grin, "Laurent shouldn't be too far away either. And we can see if Miriel's theory holds weight with another manakete in the study, if you want to help us Robin."

Grima grinned, "Do I get to throw fire balls?!" He asked eagerly, "Oh, oh! Maybe a bolt of Thoron!"

"Well a basic fire spell should do. We have tomes for it."

"Oooh~!" Grima grinned, "Cool! I bet they have the spell framework inside them~!"

He wasn't aware Chrom had to leave but he was having fun with the two mages and didn't notice Chrom going. The group was joined by a tall lanky young man, who observed what was happening first before he spoke, "Mother."

"Ah, yes it seems it is time for a break, Ricken, we'll continue the experiment tomorrow."

Grima sighed, "Don't worry Robin, we can still keep training."

Grima grinned, "Yay!" He said happily, eager to continue.

They had been training together for a mere fifteen minutes when new people arrived. They smelled very strange and Grima blinked at them. He was in the middle of showing off his dragonstone when they arrived. The leader of the group was a young woman with long pale blond hair. She wore it in two waist long pigtails. She looked _livid_ as Grima turned to face the group. Behind the woman was two men, one being a blond haired swordmaster, the other a grey haired mercenary in hero armour. Of course Grima didn't think much of them, the young woman had his focus. Grima was unsure of what to say. The woman exploded,

" **Gwads Chrom is such an idiot**!" She yelled, " **Why the hells would** **_anyone_ ** **help the literal fell dragon, let alone stand his presence after all of the crap he's done**!" Grima flinched from the yelling as it hurt his ears. He frowned as she yelled, " **You're the damn reason the risen are causing all of the problems you evil monster**!" Her finger pointed right at him. Grima felt the colour drain from his face, he _hated_ the risen. They were eerie and reminded him of claustrophobic darkness trapping him within it, a darkness he never wanted to see ever again.

" **That's not true**!" He yelled back, dark magic rising around him as his eyes filled to the brim with tears, his mana flowing out of his body, " **I never asked to exist either**!" He screamed at her sending an unintentional blast of magic that knocked her back, not even enough to hurt her. Grima turned on his heel, tears running down his face as he lost control and he ran away crying.

He didn't even realise where he was going, having ran all the way to the most secluded place he could, a room no one else spent much time in that smelled like he'd been there. He pushed the door closed behind him and threw his dragonstone at the wall before he felt more tears blinding his vision and he cried.

~*~

"Congratulations Severa, you made a child manakete cry." Inigo said with an annoyed sigh. He and Owain had tried to convince her to wait before confronting Grima, but Severa only heard what she wanted to hear. Ricken sighed and spoke,

"That was cruel, even for you."

Owain looked conflicted, "I cannot help but agree. That was uncalled for."

"Like hells!" Severa snapped, "You really _can't_ be siding with _that thing_!"

~*~

Chrom stretched, he'd heard a yell from outside and guessed it was Severa, to his surprise Lucina came into his office, "Father, I saw Robin, he was running and crying."

Chrom froze, "What happened- no, where is he now?" He asked and Lucina said,

"I thought I saw him run to Robin's living quarters." She replied and Chrom was quick to get to his feet,

"Right, let's go." He said making his way to the tactician's living quarters.

The sound of sobbing reached Chrom's ears and he winced.

"Robin," Chrom spoke calmly, "Are you alright?"

There wasn't a response, just more crying. Chrom opened the door and saw a sight he really wished he didn't.

Grima was on the floor, curled into a small ball, crying. His dragonstone looked like it'd been thrown and bounced off of the wall. Chrom came in quietly and Lucina picked the stone up, thankfully it was undamaged. He spoke gently, "Robin." as Chrom sat by Grima's side, a gentle hand stroking the young dragon's hair and Grima sniffled, looking at Chrom with eyes red and puffy from all of the crying he'd been doing,

"A-am I a-a b-bad dr-dragon?" He asked between sobs, "I-I do-don't wa-want t-to be like-like creator."

Chrom felt pain within his heart. Lucina came and placed Grima's dragonstone near him, and she spoke, "Only you can choose for yourself Robin." She said, and Grima sniffled, scrubbing away his tears as he slowly sat up, pulling his dragonstone back into his hands. He spoke more clearly,

"I…" He hesitated

"Lucina's right." Chrom said calmly, "You are your own person, regardless of what everyone else says."

Grima held his stone and said rather quietly, "Thank you, Chrom." He looked up then, a determined expression on his face, "I guess...not every human is as kind as Mar-Mar. But not all humans are mean like Creator."

"That's true." Chrom admitted, "Sometimes when people hurt they do things that they wouldn't do normally," he took an educated guess, Severa had yelled after all, "They might say things that they don't realise hurt others without thinking. Sometimes they do things that hurt others without intending to and not realising until it's too late. Sometimes it takes them a whole lifetime to realise it, and sometimes...sometimes they die before they realise what they've done."

Grima looked down, "So then…" he gripped his dragonstone, "If a human hurted enough…" he looked back at Chrom, "They would do something bad?"

Chrom sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. Though there are some people who genuinely go out of their way to hurt others because they don't care. Those are few but more dangerous."


	5. Chapter 4: Of Nightmares and Reassurances

That night three new arrivals sat in the mess hall, Chrom had been introduced to them briefly. He was currently with Maribelle, who was trying to get Grima to use cutlery to eat, something he didn't seem particularly good at. Though Chrom assumed that Grima hadn't really been taught.

"Robin." Maribelle spoke with a firm tone, "We don't use our fingers to eat."

Grima blinked and looked down, he let out a low whine, "But-"

"It's not proper manners, Darling." Maribelle replied cutting him off, her tone firm, "Especially for such company."

The young manakete sighed and in a resigned gesture picked up the outer knife and fork. Chrom heard low grumbling but was surprised by the fact that Grima was quite capable of using cutlery. He sighed. This was definitely like Robin, right down to the ease of using cutlery tidily. Dare Chrom think it, this was almost exactly like the first night Robin had arrived in Ylisstol…in a slightly eerie and uncanny way.

The Exalt shook it off, thinking as he often did of other things. He noticed that Lucina was calmly talking to Grima and the manakete seemed happy enough. Severa's glare at him was duly noticed by Chrom and he sighed. Even with the explanation the blond haired girl was still furious. It was going to take time clearly.

Once dinner was finished, Chrom had the present Lucina tucked into her bed, with a kiss on the girl's forehead and a bedtime story read to her and once she was settled, he went to check on Grima. Grima was nose in the tactics book of Robin's, clearly not thinking about sleep any time soon.

"You should probably think about getting some rest Robin." Chrom spoke and Grima blinked at him owlishly,

"I'm a hundred years old." Grima pouted like a small child (honestly it was adorable), "I can handle a late night."

Chrom sighed, "With your age you should know very well how important rest is, Robin. More so than most humans." Chrom said ruffling Grima's hair gently trying to at least partly treat him as a semi grown up and not like the small child he looked like, it was then Chrom noticed Grima give the corridor an apprehensive look, the kind of look that belied fear.

Chrom followed Grima's gaze and noticed that the corridor he was looking at was somewhat dark. Putting two and two together didn't take long and Chrom found a candle, it was kind of humanising in a way to know that even the fell dragon had irrational fears as well, "You can keep reading in bed you know." He had the lit candle in his grasp and Grima let out a sigh of defeat. Chrom waited patiently for Grima to pick his book up and the young manakete gripped Chrom's free hand. Chrom led the way to the tactician's living quarters, the place that Grima had claimed. Odd to think that was the one place of comfort to Grima but Chrom wasn't about to question the fact it was, obviously Grima had his own needs and felt Robin's quarters was a safe place to be.

Chrom set the candle alongside the bed on the side table as Grima set the book on the bed before he kicked his boots off and folded his clothing, Chrom pulled out one of Robin's shirts and it was certainly big enough for Grima to wear, at least for the time being. Grima tilted his head at the offered clothing and pulled it over his small clothes. The result was...kind of cute like he was a semi mini Robin, Chrom smiled softly.

"I'll be fine." Grima declared pulling back the covers and pulling the book towards him,

"Alright then." Chrom said knowing that even if Grima was a thousand years old he'd still feel the same protectiveness over the young dragon, honestly it was like Nowi all over again, "Still it'll help to get some rest, okay Robin?"

There was a familiar sigh before Grima hummed in acknowledgement.

"Uh huh."

"Night Robin."

Grima looked at Chrom, "Good night, Chrom." The dragon replied and Chrom headed to see how Maribelle was holding up, knowing his wife was probably dealing with the rather punctual bout of pregnancy sickness again. As much as he wished he could help, Chrom knew that there was little that could be done. Little Brady certainly wasn't going to be as easy as present Lucina had been.

~*~

It was an hour after the beginning of the second night watch when a loud scream woke Chrom and Maribelle. At first neither knew where it came from but the sound had an almost roar-like quality to it, which confused Chrom a moment.

"Oh, gods, Robin!" Maribelle cried and he hastened to get another candle, but Maribelle was a step ahead of him conjuring a ball of flames.

The couple made their way to the tactician's quarters swiftly and as calmly as they could.

They ran into their future Lucina, who had a candle in hand, with the future versions of Cynthia and Owain not far behind her. The young blond haired woman who'd come with Owain was also there. Lucina gently knocked on the door, "Robin...are you okay…"

A low whine sounded from within and she opened the door. They entered the room and Chrom saw the quivering lump in the middle of the bed. Sniffles reached his ears and he nodded to Maribelle who gently rolled her fireball into the fireplace, lighting the room as the flames danced in place. The whimpering eventually stopped as Chrom carefully sat on the end of the bed, "Robin…" he spoke gently and sure enough the mop of white hair eventually poked cautiously from under the blankets, wide fearful eyes looking at the group gathered,

"Hey, it's okay," the young blond haired woman spoke, "There's nothing to be afraid of." She carefully lifted her long pigtail back over her shoulder,

"No...no...scary people…?" Grima said, looking more like a child than a one hundred year old manakete. Honestly all Chrom saw was a frightened child.

"You're safe here Robin." Chrom assured him gently. Grima sniffled,

"No scary people?"

Chrom gently pat the young manakete's head, "No scary people." He affirmed. Seeing Grima slowly pull himself out enough to have his head on the pillow was a start. Maribelle sighed softly,

"I think the scary people would know never to come _here_ we wouldn't let them." She declared and Grima seemed to blink for a moment but then he smiled tiredly,

"That's...reassuring…" he yawned, eyes closing. His breathing deepened and evened out eventually, the reassurance calming him. Chrom sighed softly. He was glad that Grima at least felt safe enough to trust them. The Exalt stood, careful not to jostle the young dragon he tucked the blanket in. A small purr sounded and Chrom knew that for the rest of the night at least Grima would get some rest.

They left the room with the fire providing some light for the few hours of the second night watch.

Chrom stood not too far from the door and Lucina spoke, "I wonder why Naga couldn't help him too."

Chrom sighed, "I'm not sure why she asked us, but she said to give the chance that Robin wouldn't walk a dark path. To be honest I can't tell how. It seems nigh impossible with him in his current state."

"Maybe there's something we're missing?" Owain spoke up and Chrom turned to his nephew, the young man looked thoughtful, "Mayhaps we should see what history says?"

"Precious little about the Fell Dragon." Tiki spoke, surprising them all, "Robin wasn't remembered kindly by history."

Chrom spoke, "Do you know what might have happened?" He asked,

"Very little." She sighed, "All I know is there was some pain under the surface for a very long time."

Chrom frowned, "I see."

It was clear that their work was cut out for them it seemed.

~*~

The first week with Grima was...interesting.

To be honest Chrom didn't know what to expect, but as time stretched, he could see Grima slowly coming out of his shell.

It started when Vaike was training with Lon'qu.

Chrom had been watching the match with Grima beside him, "Close." Grima said, eyes focused on the two different fighting styles,

"Hmm?"

"Vaike is close, but Lon'qu has won."

The blades clashed and sure enough Vaike was pushed onto the back foot, "Damn it, Teach yields." Vaike said,

"How'd you know that was going to happen Robin?"

"He's like Mister Navarre, moves lightly on his feet and doesn't waste movement."

Chrom was surprised, "I didn't think that was possible."

Grima grinned, "He's good, Vaike's good too but not as fast. He's strong like Barst." Chrom tilted his head, "Vaike has strength, Lon'qu has speed."

Chrom wondered what made Grima say that, but in the end he supposed it was just one of those things.

"Milord." Frederick arrived and Chrom noticed he seemed serious, "Word has it particularly strong bandits have shown up and are blocking the northern roads."

"Dastards!" Chrom growled,

"We should stop them, right Sir Frederick?" Grima spoke innocently but there was a fire in the young dragon's eyes, a very familiar fire.

Chrom sighed, "That is one option yes." He said and Grima hummed,

"He didn't like to deal with them either." Grima stated calmly and it took Chrom a moment to realise what Grima meant, even Frederick was surprised,

"I see. Well yes, this falls under the things we hope to not have to do." Frederick said calmly, Grima nodded,

"We shouldn't delay. The longer we leave them the more trouble they'll cause." Grima replied, "Being a hundred years old I know that much, but Mister Kris was always picky about bandits."

~*~

Chrom could safely say that he didn't expect Grima to take what he'd said to heart. The fact he chose to stay towards the rear helped, though it soon turned out that like Robin, Grima tended to jump into protecting his battlefield partner from attacks. Twice he'd used his tail to knock the bandits' weapons away from Lucina and used the moment to blast them with his breath magic.

Chrom didn't know how but once the bandits were put down he spotted a familiar Feroxi general, who looked surprisingly stressed, "Milord?"

Chrom looked thoughtful, "Sumia, can you…?"

"Right away." The dark flier replied riding out to meet the woman.

"Chrom," Grima began coming to his side, "What's…?" Grima frowned looking somewhat confused as the General arrived with Sumia,

"Sire, grave news from Regna Ferox." The general spoke, bowing, "We have been beset by risen to the north."

Grima shuddered visibly, whining quietly, "How many are Raimi?" Chrom asked,

"It is difficult to ascertain their numbers." The general, Raimi explained, "But we do know they've been coming from the Ruins of Time."

Grima frowned, as Chrom turned to Frederick, "Frederick, send word to Ylisstol that the Feroxi have requested Ylissean aid and I intend to see Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio immediately."

Frederick bowed, "As you will Milord."

"I want...to go with Chrom." Grima spoke up, clearly afraid but determined, "If it's where I think it is…" he shivered unbidden,

"You don't have to Robin."

"But I do!" Grima declared, even though he was clearly terrified by the prospect. Chrom and Lucina shared a confused glance. Chrom came to Grima's level,

"Alright, but there's no shame in not going." He said, and Grima said quietly,

"I know...but I have to go. Someone...someone's there and...they're in more danger than they know." Grima gripped his dragonstone tightly, "I can't let them get hurt when they are innocent!"

Chrom nodded, "Right, then we'll have to travel as swiftly as we can then to save them."

The relief on Grima's face was noticeable and Chrom nodded at Sumia. They would have to travel very quickly indeed, "Would you like to ride with me Robin?" Sumia asked and the young manakete looked excited,

"Yes please! Miss Caeda was always too busy to let me ride with her." With some help from Chrom, Grima was soon sat behind Sumia and was clearly enjoying the ride. Even more so when they flew up into the sky.

The journey to the border didn't take long and as they arrived into the Feroxi garrison, known as the Longfort, a young boy, about seventeen or so, came to meet them. Grima had hopped down and shivered, "Brrr…" he tightened his coat, "It's so cold." He whined softly,

"That's the norm for Regna Ferox." Chrom explained as the young fighter led the way to the tunnels used when the snows were particularly heavy. Chrom could feel Grima gripping his hand tightly as they followed the torch bearing youth.

"I hate the dark…" Grima muttered, "It hides scary people."

Chrom simply kept a hold of the young manakete's hand, "Luckily it won't take us long to get where we need to be."

Grima blushed but the good natured chuckle from Vaike distracted him enough,

"Say Chrom..."

"Yes Vaike." He sighed,

"Diya reckon those risen are from the last war?"

Grima looked worried and Chrom sighed, "If there're still sorcerers capable of summoning them maybe. I don't know until we find out."

"It is possible, the Grimleal do have that kind of knowledge." Lucina sighed.

~*~

Both Flavia and Basilio were waiting in the main throne room, each discussing their course of action when Chrom arrived, "...honestly, I'd say burn the place if that was possible, but with all of that ice it's nigh impossible."

"What else would you have us do, Oaf? We know that Ylisse is still reeling from losing Robin after the last war, and he'd be the tactician to sort this damn mess out."

Chrom sighed, "Another lover's quarrel?" He said in a light joking tone,

"Ha, ha, ha! I wish, boy!" Basilio boomed, "Nah, we were trying to put our heads together to figure out how to deal with the risen problem."

"And obviously can't agree on how to deal with the problem?" Grima spoke up and it took everyone by surprise, "It's really simple, we need to break the spell summoning the r-r-risen." He shuddered visibly. Chrom placed a gentle hand on the young manakete's shoulder.

Flavia spoke, "Well that's certainly new. Any clue on how we do that?"

Chrom shrugged, "We don't have much info, but Robin here has shared all he knows."

Basilio chuckled, "Another one? So did he lose his memory too?"

Grima looked at Basilio and said, "No. Mister Jagen said lying is bad."

"He sounds like a wise man." Flavia said calmly,

"Well...for an old guy, maybe but they were all younger than me." Grima shrugged, "I didn't get it first, but I think I understand why now."

Chrom was about to ask what Grima meant, but was cut off with the arrival of a pair of welcome dark mages, "Heyo~!" Henry cooed, "So we heard there was some risen showing up and since there wasn't much for us in Plegia-"

"We decided to come back to the Shepherds for old time's sake." Tharja spoke, looking at Grima.

"Dark mages?" Grima asked, "I thought dark mages were really bad guys."

"Not all." Henry said with a grin,

"Huh…" Grima looked thoughtful, "Then...the element is more powerful than I thought…"

"Anyway, we decided to come and help. Our battalions are in Themis, so they'll be fine." Henry continued.

"I see." Chrom looked thoughtful, "We'll rest up here and make the push to the Ruins of Time tomorrow first light."

~*~

Grima sat curled up as close to the fire as he could be, anything was better than the cold. He didn't know how the other dragons didn't feel it, but he couldn't help shivering and shaking. The youthful looking white haired man had been talking with a few of other Shepherds. Grima knew the dark haired woman was...interested in him and it made him uneasy.

"You're the fell dragon."

Grima blinked, she didn't seem to be either hateful or angry, which confused him but perhaps she was hiding her true feelings, "So you hate me too?" Shock crossed her face, and she gently pat his head to his immense shock and quiet delight,

"No. Our people view you as our god." She explained, "Like how Naga is god to the Ylisseans."

"But I'm no god, I can't create or destroy." Grima replied, confused as he didn't think he was a god, let alone capable of being one to a group of people who based on his reading lived in the desert to the west of Ylisse, "Well...not like gods can."

She chuckled, "Gods are relative. Compared to a human, you are a god."

"I guess...but that's still a huge stretch, since humans can do more damage than they think, even compared to a dragon." Grima said,

"That's true, but no one particularly thinks about that." The white haired man spoke, "Anyway Tharja you're getting off track. Chrom said that you know more about the risen then we've been able to find out ourselves Robin."

Grima sighed, "I guess…" he shrunk a little, "How much do you know about _them_?" he shuddered noticeably.

After an hour of discussion, Grima could safely say that the two mages before him were good people, despite their choice of spells. At first he wasn't comfortable but the man, Henry said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, you can write it down if that helps you feel better." and so it was that he spoke of everything he knew.

"Creator...he was very hurt." Grima said, "He lost something precious to him, I think." The young manakete sat cross-legged near the fire it crackling in the background as he spoke, "The people...they came to try and stop him. He…he killed them all."

"Oof, I like blood, but innocents are a different matter." Henry said,

"So how does that tie into the risen?" The dark haired woman, Tharja asked,

"It's what Creator did to them, after they died." Grima explained quietly. "He...used them, used their bodies to make the r-r-risen..."

The silence in the room was filled by the fire. Several minutes passed and it was clear that what he'd said was serious. Grima could still hear the screams of the dying even if he didn't strain his ears. He closed his eyes and had his head in his hands as he tried to drown the sounds out of his mind. Not even the realm of sleep gave him escape from those sounds, then they were so _loud_ he couldn't bear it.

"Sounds pretty twisted." Henry said, "I mean I know jesters can be some sick but this...well I suppose there are a lot of those kinds of things, yeah."


	6. Chapter 5: A Grima's Got to do What A Grima's Got to do

The rest of the night saw Grima learning how to hex his coat so he'd never feel the cold again. Henry and Tharja were good teachers.

His coat deliciously warm, Grima found a spot to curl up and sleep.

His dreams were far from peaceful.

~*~

_Fire burned all around him as screams filled the air. Smoke filled his nose making it difficult to breathe_

_"Oh gods help us!" A voice screamed in the distance, Grima's eyes stung as he tried to pick out where the sounds were coming from and why he felt more than afraid._

_He felt his body seemingly shift into existence inside the Ylissean throne room,_ "Chrom?!" _He cried out desperately seeking the kind man who'd given Grima more than his creator ever did, a man who was just like Grima's now gone friend Marth._

_Something wasn't right._

_People were fighting risen in the room and being killed,_ " **Chrom**!" _Grima cried frightened now as more and more people were dying and the risen were closing in. He saw a woman be grabbed by one whimpering with fear. Grima himself was completely paralysed,_

_"_ ** _I believe the woman you want...is ME_** _!"_

_Grima froze as Falchion stabbed into the risen from behind, slicing upwards in a powerful, graceful manner. Its deadly arc stopped as it sliced through the air,_ "Lucina…" _Grima gasped, then he tried to will his body to move,_ "Lucina, where's Chrom?! Why do you have Falchion?! What's going on?!"

_She looked through him, eyes unseeing and that was when he realised it was a horrible nightmare._

~*~

"Robin, it's okay, I'm here. I'm right here Robin."

Grima woke screaming. He was vaguely aware of a strong pair of arms around his frail form, a gentle, calm murmur and the steady _ba-bump_ of what he knew was a heartbeat. His body still tried to thrash, escape, anything to get away from his nightmare. It took him a moment to realise he was safe, warm and that Chrom was gently stroking his hair. That Chrom still had Falchion at his waist and that there weren't any risen harming them.

"It's alright Robin." Chrom soothed.

Grima gripped the human with his small hands and refused to let go. The fear hadn't really eased away but at least Grima could tell this wasn't a dream. He was vaguely aware of the fact he was crying, hard. He wasn't sure if it was because he was relieved or because he was truly terrified by the thought that in his mind at least he'd lost Chrom. It was a thought Grima wasn't sure he was ready for.

~*~

The early morning saw a somewhat cold breakfast being served, Grima eating quietly as talk flowed around him. Most of what he heard was talk of what they were going to do about the risen, others speculating about why there was still risen and Severa...well she was glaring at him of course. Grima quietly sided up to Lucina, he knew she had a Falchion, and he had to know the truth as to why she carried the blade, a feeling of dread had filled him as he _knew_ what happened. Pretending it didn't happen was a recipe for disaster.

"Lucina…" He began and she turned to him, surprised. Words failed Grima as he didn't know how to ask the question he had, but he didn't have to. Her eyes told him more than words ever could, "I'm sorry." He looked down, and he heard a confused noise,

"Robin…?" The confusion in her eyes was clear but the young manakete gently took her hands in his own. It might have been an intimate gesture but he didn't know how else to get it through to her.

"It was the other me who hurt you, wasn't it?" Grima said and she stiffened, "He hurt you all...and that's why Severa hates me."

"Robin…" Lucina sighed, then she looked down at their hands. A pregnant pause was between them and Grima realised he'd not let go. He blushed.

While he did understand some human social conventions he knew even less when it came to the rules of courting and eventual mating, at least he understood the mechanics of physical mating and its purpose to produce offspring but the rest...it eluded him. That and he wasn't sure how to tell if humans were courting someone unless they specifically said so. For all he knew Lucina could be courting a man who wouldn't take kindly to Grima's intimacy with her, even if Grima had no intent on pursuing her as a mate.

He was still blushing as they made their way to the Ruins of Time. He should have considered the possibility that Lucina was probably in a mated pairing- it was a foolish gesture on his part.

Yet all he'd wanted was to fix the wrong that had happened…

"Well here it is. Damn it's crawling with risen." Chrom's voice broke Grima out of his reverie,

"Not good." Grima muttered, "They've covered the main areas...and there's probably more below." He said as he drew in the air around them, a scent hit his nose, "The innocent passed this way." He said, "They're frightened."

Chrom looked to him and Grima frowned, "Do you have a plan Robin?" He asked and Grima looked at the Shepherds,

"Who can use Rescue at long range?" Grima asked suddenly,

"Uh…" Chrom looked surprised, but he recovered quickly, "Lissa-"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Can you use a rescue staff?" Grima asked, "At long range?"

Lissa grinned, "Oh I think I know what you're planning, don't worry I can." She pulled one out from her expansion hexed pack, something that was fairly common place in Ylisse to Grima's surprise, "Where are they?"

"Over there, near the stairs." Grima pointed.

The magic of the rescue staff did its job and a young girl blinked at them confused, "What…?"

"Are you okay?" Chrom spoke and Grima looked at the girl.

She was a little bit taller than he was, with short dark hair and a soft face. She wore a battered old coat that was similar to his own, with a pair of tall brown boots. She looked like a tactician, carrying a fire tome and a steel sword on her person and he had a feeling she knew full well how to use those weapons. Grima noticed that she was looking at him, "My name is Morgan, and I was looking for my father, Robin." Grima blinked in surprise, "We...were separated."

The girl, Morgan, didn't seem to be lying, but Grima couldn't help but feel that there was something that Morgan was hiding. Even so Grima wasn't sure what to make of the girl.

She said that she and her father had been separated, but she kept looking _at him_ for some inextricable reason. It made Grima wonder if something wasn't adding up.

Still they had a task to do and Grima knew that the risen had to be gotten rid of.

He tried to figure out how to separate them from their summoner, and he was almost going to give up when he _finally_ noticed the tiniest of threads around the risen.

It was so slight he would have missed it but the focus he had was just enough.

~*~

Chrom sighed as they finally took out the risen. Somehow Grima had managed to get most of them before they became a problem. It seemed that he'd figured out how to break the hold of the summoner after all.

The problem was, however that they had more pressing issues.

Namely that Grima had collapsed from the effort.

~*~

"What happened?" Maribelle asked worried when Chrom came with an unconscious Grima in his arms,

"I don't know." Chrom said, "He was kind of focused on something to do with magic-"

Maribelle was all business, "Get him on the bed, Lissa darling, we're going to need a broth to replenish his mana."

Chrom carefully set Grima onto the bed, worried about the young manakete. Maribelle had raised her staff and the warm glow of magic rose around Grima. Chrom sighed, unsure of what to do to help. He knew precious little when it came to mages.

Their command of the anima or dark magic was a sight to behold. They were easily able to create powerful spells, were instrumental in finding the jewels for staves. Most mages used tomes and the mana within them. He'd not seen many tomeless castors like Grima. He turned to Maribelle as she set her staff down.

"He'll need to be resting in bed for a week and only use low level tomes."

"El tomes?" Grima asked and Chrom saw Maribelle jolt as Grima slowly sat up,

"Robin…"

Chrom realised the scene before him was familiar and seeing that Grima was trying to get out of bed already, he gently intervened, "You need to rest Robin." He said calmly, Maribelle spoke sternly,

"You've pushed your mana reserves too much. A mage can only use so much mana before they end up collapsing."

"But I'm fine!" Grima protested,

"Robin." Chrom sighed, gently getting Grima back onto the bed, "Please try to rest."

"But-" He pouted,

"Robin…" Maribelle sighed, and she shared a look with Chrom, they _had_ seen this before. It was a certain tactician who'd always been pushing himself too hard,

"Stay in bed for today," Chrom said, "We'll do some light exercises tomorrow, no magic."

Grima sighed, "Fine." He pouted, looking less than pleased. Still Chrom felt it was a fair compromise. He had an idea to help Grima, though he wasn't sure how well it would work.

~*~

It was dull.

Grima hated being cooped up, even if it was necessary. He had been stuck in bed for a full week with no real improvement, probably due to the fact that when he was bored he was going through the spell matrix in his head and unknowingly using mana as a result. Of course sneaking out was a dangerous thing but Grima had found something interesting within the book that he was reading that a mage of sufficient skill could replenish their mana if they drew on ambient mana, but there wasn't anything on how to do it, just that it could be done.

It was better than being cooped up and he could sense a lot of mana around him...something even the lowest level of mages were capable of.

So he hatched his plan and chose the height of the sun's zenith to go where the ambient mana was strongest, and it wasn't in the medical wing where he was.

It was near the front courtyard, the training grounds if Grima was reading it right.

He managed to feel the mana around him and reached out for it.

It was almost like his mana responded to it. Small sparks stretched out touching the mana around him and to his surprise the energy that flowed into him made him feel…

Lighter than he'd felt since severing the strings of the risen, almost like there was…

Too much mana surging through him.

"Robin?!" Tiki's voice cried out and Grima realised he was in dragon form,

"Oops…" He muttered, and he could tell Tiki looked upset. He changed back thankfully but seeing her upset and realising Chrom looked...less than pleased as well,

"What in the seven hells were you doing?!" Tiki cried, pulling him into a tight embrace. Grima for his part, pulled his hood up, and he heard Chrom sigh,

"Robin…" Grima could tell by Chrom's tone alone that the man was disappointed, and that hurt more than anything Forneus felt…

Tiki drew back and said, somewhat shocked, "His mana...it's completely replenished."

Chrom gasped, "What?!" He said,

Tiki blinked, "My gods…" she breathed, "Robin...you...you drew from the ambient mana, didn't you?"

Grima still had his hood up but he half raised it, "Did I do a bad?" He asked and Tiki knelt to his eyeline,

"Robin, most dragons don't manage to do what you did until they're at least a thousand years or more." Tiki explained, "Even the most skilled take three centuries without instruction of any kind. What you did...is..."

"Is beyond the level of a genius, even among mage dragons." Grima pulled his hood off in shock as he saw the old battered red hooded robe of a hunched old man, who gripped a walking staff in his hand, a soft smile on his face,

" **Ban-Ban**?!" Grima gasped in shock, the old dragon chuckled,

"I see you're as bright as always Robin." Bantu chuckled, "Young Tiki had crossed paths with me and suggested I come here." The old dragon chuckled, "Ylisse is truly a beautiful place."

Grima was still in shock, "Ban-Ban…" he said and the old dragon hummed before placing a gentle hand on the boy's head,

"It's good to see you again." Bantu replied, "Especially after so long."

Grima sniffled softly, "I'm glad you think we've done well." Chrom said calmly, his tone became concerned, "What about Robin? Will he be okay?"

Bantu smiled, "Yes he will, so long as he remembers to not strain himself."

Grima heard an audible sigh of relief from Chrom and he shuffled the dirt below his boot,

"Sorry I scared you." Grima said and he heard a soft chuckle,

"We both learned something." Chrom said calmly, "Hopefully it will be a lesson for both of us to be mindful of."

~*~

Maribelle was beside herself initially, but when Bantu first introduced himself and explained the situation she calmed down. Chrom noticed that Grima seemed to be content to sit quietly reading the book that Miriel had given him. Grima turned the page as Chrom looked to his wife, "So...I guess there is little reason to keep him in the healing halls, but, Robin," Maribelle spoke firmly, "Please do not push yourself like that again, you worried everyone." Grima looked up from his book, "Just be careful in future."

"I will." He promised and Chrom gently pat his head,

"That's all we can ask Robin." Chrom replied calmly. He could only hope that Grima would behave himself.


	7. Chapter 6: A pleasant dream...

The sway of the trees overlooking the training grounds were enough to make things peaceful. A figure stood head lowered as a tome sat loosely by his side. He was in the middle of focusing on what needed to be done.

He'd grown a little since figuring out how to deal with the risen. And figuring out how to use the ambient mana to help him.

Still Grima had his own path, what it was, he didn't know. He was however aware that he wasn't alone anymore.

The giggles that he heard were more than enough of a give-away. He grinned and slipped his tome into its holder, "I _know_ you're there, Lucy." He smirked, widely, "You too, Owain, you don't fool me."

He turned and sure enough the rest of the children appeared, "Robin!" Lucina, the present one raced up to him and took his hand in hers, "We need help to hide!"

Grima blinked, "Why are you hiding?" He asked curiously,

"We don't wanna do studies, they're boring." Little Severa complained,

"But isn't the goal of studies to grant knowledge?" Grima asked curiously,

"Not like the tutor does." The young Cynthia spoke up.

Grima frowned, "Okay, I know of a cool place we can hide." He offered and their faces lit up.

~*~

The place where Grima had chosen was the office of the Grandmaster Robin. A pretty cool place dare Grima think so, "Nobody will think to check here." He said pleased with himself, "And-"

"What's that?" Cynthia asked, pointing to a board. Grima carefully picked it up,

"It's a game." The young manakete said, "At least I think it is."

"Do you know how to play it?" Lucina asked and Grima set the board on the floor. He muttered an incantation and the board expanded to the awe of his companions,

"I think so." He said and he found some pieces, "I know! We use these to play."

~*~

They were so absorbed by their game that no one noticed Chrom open the door and pause at the sight of all of the Shepherds children and Grima sat on the floor playing some sort of game. Grima had some paper and was working on some sort of tally system,

"Okay Lucy," Grima said, handing some dice to Chrom's daughter, "Your turn. Now let's see how much damage Owain's Sacred Stones attack will do. If you roll higher than him, he will miss. If you roll the same number, he won't do any damage and if you roll a lower number than him, you'll be hit with the difference between the two numbers."

Chrom watched as everyone seemed tense, the dice rolled and Grima split a grin, "Lucy successfully avoids Owain's Sacred Stones attack and gets to counter." Owain looked crestfallen briefly but then he grinned,

"I use Naga’s Shield." Lucina decided and she made a second roll,

"A six?!" Owain gasped,

"Ooooh!" There was surprise on Grima's face, "Lucy gets a critical attack, quick Owain, roll!" Cynthia yelled, and Chrom cleared his throat.

They all froze and Chrom came in, "I see you're all having fun." He gave them a conspiratorial wink and there were some giggles.

"We're playing a numbers game." His daughter grinned,

"I see." Chrom said as he carefully sat beside her, "So what are the rules?"

What followed was the most amusing lesson in numbers Chrom had ever seen. He had to admit Grima turning it into a game was by far the best idea he'd not thought of. They got in a whole hour before Maribelle found them and everyone was tired and ready for lunch. Owain was actually looking less stressed than Chrom had seen him.

Chrom fell into step with Grima and he spoke, "How did you manage to get them to practice their numbers?"

Grima tilted his head, "They said the tutor was boring, so I tried a different approach to the problem."

"An effective approach it seems." Chrom said as they sat down to lunch.

The more Chrom thought about it, the more Robin-like Grima was.

Well mostly Robin like. Chrom would find there were plenty of ups and downs when it came to Grima.

~*~

The passage of time was a strange thing. Grima was in the gardens, enjoying the sunshine as he read tomes that had been within reach. A lot of them had knowledge and as far as Grima was concerned the knowledge was important. He supposed it was simply a part of his nature. Beyond him learning the sword was Lucina, the twelve year old girl was focused and seemed to be learning well from her father.

Yet she wasn't the one who grabbed his attention. The other Lucina, a woman of an unmistakable grace and skill had his attention. She rarely smiled and Grima decided that simply wouldn't do.

He set the tome down carefully and approached.

She carried Falchion as well and while Grima had a bad relationship with the blade, he certainly admired its unique design. There was a slightly obvious thrum of magic through both the Falchion Chrom carried and this one.

Even so he had a strange feeling that the good memories he had were important.

He didn't know why but they were.


	8. Chapter 7: Lessons and Treasures

Chrom heaved a sigh, as Grima was sat in the chair before his desk, hood covering the manakete's face in clear distress. As much as Chrom understood where Grima was coming from, it didn't make it any less of a serious situation with equally serious consequences.

Honestly he should have expected Grima to use dark magic, it was after all the manakete's speciality and he did show an amazing aptitude for it.

Chrom knew that Grima hadn't intended to hurt anyone, he could see how upset the young manakete was, especially since he'd not raised the hood in over an hour and had been curled up into the closest approximation of a ball sobbing as guilt clearly consumed him.

To say Chrom was less than pleased about the situation was perhaps accurate, inadequate perhaps, but somewhat accurate. Several times the Exalt had to mentally remind himself he _wasn't_ his father in a repeated mantra as he tried to work through how he felt about the situation. He wasn't going to raise his voice at the young manakete as yelling at him wasn't going to change what had happened and anger wouldn't help the situation or Grima.

Grima still was snivelling and Chrom knew that Grima was in an emotionally fragile state.

Henry had said it was far better than any risen that the Grimleal had ever made, but that didn't change the fact it'd attacked everything in sight until Grima had severed the thread and making it disappear.

Grima obviously thought making one for their side would help with dealing with the other risen- gods Chrom couldn't fault the intentions behind it, really he couldn't.

The fact it had attacked everything was...not exactly good. Then there was the fact that while no one got physically harmed it was a scare that could have been avoided had the proper help been implemented.

Tiki had all but screamed at Grima for it. Bantu had promised to talk with her but the damage was clearly going to take time to repair. Which was why Chrom opted to try talking with Grima about it.

The operative word being try.

"Robin…" Chrom was glad his tone was gentle, Grima had been yelled at enough by Tiki, the last thing he needed was more isolation by being yelled at. Chrom came around the desk and carefully lifted Grima's hood up a little to see if the young manakete had calmed. Puffy red eyes avoided contact and Chrom knelt level with the manakete's eye line, "I know you were only trying to help." He spoke choosing his words carefully to try and articulate that he wasn't angry at Grima. Chrom gently stroked Grima's hair under his hood and the manakete was still sniffling.

He kept gently stroking the young manakete's hair and he could hear a low whine from Grima's throat escape. With a small sigh, the Exalt carefully scooped the manakete into his arms, resting the young one against his chest as he cradled Grima.

To Chrom's surprise, Grima clung to him. It was the first time Chrom had been remotely hugged by the young manakete.

Maribelle came in, her stomach showing just how far along in her pregnancy she was since Grima's arrival with Chrom. She was surprised but as she came to him she spoke, "Bantu is still talking with Tiki." She said softly, "How's Robin?" She asked worried, and Chrom felt Grima's grip tighten,

"Still upset, unfortunately. But we can't rush them." He said softly, "Everyone else?"

"Shaken, but no one was harmed." Maribelle said calmly, "Lucy was wondering where Robin and you were."

Chrom let out a low chuckle, "We can be thankful no one got hurt." Chrom said and he kept gently stroking Grima's hair, "Just let her know that Robin needs some time to himself." He explained, "We'll join the others at dinner."

Maribelle nodded, "Of course love." She gently rubbed Grima's back, Grima tensing slightly before relaxing, "I'll let the others know."

Grima whined softly and Chrom knew by the manakete's breathing he'd cried himself to sleep. Chrom gently removed Grima's hood entirely as the occasional sobs filled the air. Even in sleep, the young manakete was crying.

~*~

Dinner was a quiet affair. Bantu hobbled in and explained calmly that Tiki was still not entirely ready to forgive Grima, and Chrom knew that it would be a tense while.

Especially with Grima picking at his food like he was. Seeing him this upset was distressing. Twice Chrom had to firmly remind the young manakete not to play with his food and the gentle reprimands didn't fully fix the issue. Lucina did her best to steer the conversation clear of the failed risen attempt. Chrom was surprised when she mentioned that there was a spot in the royal gardens that she felt Grima might like.

It did perk him up a little thankfully and by the time Chrom made the nightly rounds, he could see Grima's nose was as ever engrossed in Robin's tactics book. He smiled softly before coming to stand beside the young dragon, "It's getting late Robin." He said gently and before Grima could protest Chrom had the small manakete scooped up, book and all. Grima blinked a few times but soon rested his head on Chrom's chest.

"I'm sorry." The young manakete said in a quiet voice,

Chrom held him, "As I said, I know you were only trying to help." He said calmly, "Perhaps it might be a good idea to ask in future."

Grima let out a yawn and nestled closer to Chrom's chest, "Mmm, hmm." was the murmured response.

It was only after Chrom set Grima into his bed, removed both of his boots and tucked the young manakete in that Tiki arrived. Chrom could tell she looked visibly upset, "He's okay, just…"

Tiki had Bantu by her side, "The boy was bound to investigate the very magic he'd grown up with." Bantu said calmly, "I'm surprised you're handling it so calmly."

Chrom heaved a sigh, "I'm relieved. To be honest, I was trying to do what my father wouldn't."

Bantu and Tiki looked surprised, "He was...a bad person?" Tiki asked and Chrom replied,

"Well...if you count an extremely short temper, then yes, I suppose so." He felt a hand rest on Falchion's hilt, "The only time he _didn't_ yell at me was when I showed an aptitude for the blade. The best I got from him was him seeing me as little more than a tool to be used until I wasn't useful."

Bantu sighed, "I see. It sounds like a difficult experience."

Chrom chuckled without humour, "He was...indifferent towards Emm and Lissa, he didn't want daughters, even though as you know the throne can be inherited by a woman as well as a man."

Tiki nodded, "Yes, sadly there were others who felt similar."

Bantu hummed, "Even among dragons as well." He lent on his cane, "I knew all too well, it is a truly deplorable way to view someone."

~*~

The next morning saw Chrom talking with the two dragons to see about something special. It was a certain special occasion that Chrom felt might be a good time to both help repair the slight rift between Grima and Tiki, but also to help Grima feel better. It was an idea that had to have all of the Shepherds gathered naturally and it would take some time, especially since Maribelle was less mobile and the present Brady was due any day according to Lissa and Libra.

As such, they spent some time on it.

Chrom noticed that the present Lucina was tugging Grima along with the future Lucina, the later smiling softly in a fond way that warmed his heart. He was glad they were having fun, and that for the time being at least that Grima was having the space he needed.

~*~

Grima wasn't expecting the sudden explosion of flowers and colours that he saw.

In all of his life he'd never seen such a thing. Except maybe the fields in Altea. While Regna Ferox was covered in snow, seeing the more mild, though admittedly still snowing Ylisse outside of the glasshouse was interesting. The door had to be kept closed during winter as not to harm the plants and Grima was content to look at all the pretty colours. It was a soothing place, one that he felt was special. The fact his companions liked it so much made him understand that there were things that were to be treasured. Moments like this. Yes, he would treasure this moment, the moment they both smiled among the flowers with the gentle snowfall around the glasshouse.


	9. Chapter 9

Enjoy Smol Grima in his adorable glory.


	10. Chapter 8: Dragonflowers and Birthday Parties

In the passing years they'd joke about the failed risen attempt, mostly leading to Grima blushing furiously over it as he'd frequently get flustered about it. If there was one thing he didn't like it was being reminded of his mistakes.

Though Chrom always saw them as an opportunity to learn from. Maybe Grima's friend had some knowledge that the young Fell Dragon didn't?

It still didn't change things around Severa however.

She still hated him.

The young dragon was in the middle of trying his hand at drawing, being inspired by Libra's amazing artwork. Mostly it was to distract himself from the depressive mood he was in. The olive branches he offered just weren't good enough in Severa's eyes.

The page was filled with scribbles and Libra blinked, started even when Grima spoke, "How do you say sorry to someone who doesn't want to listen to you?" He asked quietly.

The room was silent for several seconds, and Libra hummed as he thought about how to address the young dragon's question. After a moment he said, "Through actions." He suggested, "Though it might be difficult for them to accept an apology in the first place."

Grima frowned. The human did make some sense but…

Somehow, no matter how much he tried…

He couldn't help someone who was hurting and that in turn hurt him.

~*~

It had been a while since the Shepherds had been fully gathered from all of the corners of the world, and Grima could tell something special was happening. Twice he'd been turned away from the kitchens, the cooks explaining they didn't need assistance despite his best efforts.

Chrom was distracted, and Maribelle was too busy caring for the new baby. Lissa was being extra mischievous and Lon'qu was too busy training to indulge in Grima's questions. Vaike was...Vaike and Grima could tell that today everyone was too busy to pay him any mind.

He was okay, he knew it happened sometimes.

So he made his way to the greenhouse and sat among the flowers. Unlike Nowi he didn't engage in play- he was already too old for that by human standards but he did enjoy watching the gardeners tending to the flowers.

He was watching as they carefully watered each plant, took away the dead branches and chased away the pests that would harm the plants.

Grima didn't notice the fact he'd been following the gardeners into a part of the greenhouse that housed some unique plants. They weren't flowering and there was a sigh from the head gardener, "The dragonflowers still haven't bloomed."

"What's a dragonflower?" Grima asked innocently and they turned to him. The head gardner beckoned the young dragon, "Come and see young one."

Grima came and the man gently placed a hand on the young dragon's shoulder, the young woman to Grima's left spoke, "These lovelies are the dragonflower plant, they produce beautiful flowers that are known as dragonflowers. It's said the plants have unique magical properties."

Grima tilted his head, and a small hand reached to touch one of the leaves. He felt a faint thrumming of mana and he blinked, "They need more mana!" The young dragon cried surprised,

"Mana?!" The gardeners gasped,

"I...I am not sure how much, but, I felt...mana inside the plant. It was very faint. I don't know if there is a way to give the plants the mana they need to bloom."

The young woman hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe the royal library has something on it, don't you agree, Mathus?"

The head gardener looked thoughtful, "Mayhaps. It's certainly worth a try."

If anyone said that books were boring they'd be dead wrong. Grima skipped, the scent of books a comforting smell, and his element, he knew. Of course it was as he dug through the many shelves trying to find what he needed to help the gardeners.

A familiar red cloak loomed into view and Grima chirped, "Ban-Ban!" making the old dragon turn and chuckle,

"What brings you here, young Robin?" The older dragon asked warmly,

"The gardeners need help Ban-Ban." Grima explained, small hands moving rapidly, "They have dragonflowers that won't bloom."

Bantu's eyes widened, "Dragonflowers? Here?"

"In the greenhouse!" The young dragon explained excitedly, "I felt mana in them, but it was very faint…" he frowned,

"Ah, they must be almost ready to bloom." Bantu said calmly, there was a moment of confusion but Bantu explained, "The flowers come towards the end of the plant's life, on a special full moon. They stay in full bloom for a week and eventually fade leaving behind a Dragonfruit, it's child if you will. They take a while to grow, but the flowers themselves have very special properties, used for various purposes. Healing being one of them, though not quite in the same way as the staves."

Grima looked thoughtful and Bantu could see the gears whirling in the child's mind. "Can it heal a hurt heart?" He asked and Bantu sighed painfully,

"Sadly no." He had to appreciate the effort however.

Grima's face fell, but at least they had their answer. The flowers would bloom soon.

~*~

After that little adventure, Grima didn't expect lunch to have come so soon. Yet when he saw Chrom the young dragon was relieved to see him. Even more relieved when Chrom said it was time for lunch. He should have noticed the subtle grin on Chrom's face.

They arrived at the dining hall that was devoid of light. Grima instinctively clung to Chrom's leg, until a sudden burst of both sound and light showed the dining hall in a festive atmosphere, decorations and bright colours and most importantly all of the smiling faces of his new friends. Their united cry of "Surprise!", giving him a feeling in his chest he'd not felt before as he realised this was  _ for him _ from his friends.

Chrom gently lifted the young manakete up into his arms as the young dragon cried. Somewhat incoherent but the gratitude was clear. There were some things that simply didn't need words. This was one of those times.


	11. Chapter 9: Of Dreams and Courting

It had taken a while for Grima to calm down, but the lunch was a success and Chrom could see that Grima had finally perked up again.

It seemed that things were going well, Emmeryn seemed happy as Grima engaged in chatting her ear off with a child's level of enthusiasm. She was a little on the tired side of late, and Chrom guessed it was because Grima was too energetic to deal with on his own. However the young dragon was clearly determined to make Emmeryn burst into fits of giggles, as well as Lissa. Chrom noticed that Severa was in the corner of the room, glaring at Grima. Cordelia was quietly talking to Gregor, and wasn't allowing any alcohol near her.

Chrom could tell this was a sore spot for Severa, her mother having married Gregor instead of...Robin and that she was some time away from having a baby.

Chrom however could tell that while Robin had a good friendship with Cordelia, that the tactician hadn't wanted anything more. The pair were better as friends, and it seemed that Cordelia was very happy, something Chrom felt was more important.

Chrom's musings were stopped by a small tug on his sleeve, "Something wrong Robin?" He asked gently and the young manakete sighed,

"Why does Severa keep hating me?" Grima asked quietly, clearly distressed by it.

Chrom carefully scooped the young manakete up into his arms, "Severa...lost her father, a long time ago." Chrom explained, "She still has her mother, thank gods,-"

"So she hates me because the other one hurt her family and took her father from her?" Grima looked very upset and Chrom pat the young one's head gently,

"Remember when I said that when people are hurt they can say or do things that aren't good?" Chrom asked and Grima nodded, "Grief is...something everyone has to work through, in their own ways. Severa pushes people away so she doesn't get hurt again."

Grima looked concerned, "But if she does that, then who'll be there when she needs them?!" He winced and Chrom sighed,

"She needs time Robin, and sometimes, some wounds just won't heal." He said and Grima looked to Emmeryn,

"So...then how do you help to heal them?" Grima looked visibly worried now,

"You can't Darling." Maribelle said gently, "There are some things that can't be fixed with magic, time or both. The only thing you can do is be there for them."

Chrom pat Grima's head and the young manakete seemed to understand. He knew how the young one felt.

~*~

Grima was in the middle of reading a book that Sumia leant him, laying on his stomach coat off and boots beside his bed. It was late he knew, but the book was so  _ good _ he just couldn't put it down yet. A small giggle escaped him and he turned the page. A gasp filled the room as he read the spread of words. The bad guy wasn't entirely bad, and while Grima knew some of what they did was wrong he could understand that they felt it was their only choice.

He loved novels like this, as it was great to study tactics. Plus Miss Katarina said sometimes tacticians had to do bad things to protect the people they cared about. Like summoning an army of risen.

Grima knew that however was perhaps a step too far, especially seeing how much it upset his friends.

Plus whenever they spoke of war…

It was like it haunted them.

Grima decided to learn as much as he could, so that no one had that haunted look ever again, not Lucina, not Chrom, not even Severa even if she hated him.

He hoped that by learning everything he could he would make it so he didn't need it.

He yawned and turned the page. He could tell that the good guys were in trouble, and that they needed to know how to beat the bad guy. He could feel his head dip and before long, he fell asleep.

~*~

_ He stood in the middle of a field, and as far as his eyes could see it was ashes, a blackened world. A hand reached to touch the tree only for it to disintegrate under his touch, making him cough as ash filled his nose. Beyond him was a slick blackened sludge, what would have been water he assumed. His feet carried him along, the sky dark and forboding as he tried to find a place that was familiar. Underfoot he crushed all ash, and winced when he came across a corpse. He couldn't tell if it was a person or an animal, whatever it was, it was burned beyond recognition. He stopped when he saw a field of bones, ash and the scent of death hitting his nose. _

_ He saw a dark looking figure standing among them, dark wings and he frowned, only for the scene to disolve as a brightly coloured figure chased off the dark one and she turned to him, and then the world  _ changed _ as the familiar scenery of Altea came into view and Grima frantically looked around, only to find the being was gone. _

_ He saw that his friends, both old and new were together, enjoying a picnic. Miss Katarina was blushing as Mister Kris was teasing her, _

_ "Robin!" Marth called and Grima sniffled, "There you are, come on, you'll miss the cake!" _

_ Grima went to his friends, and smiled. The warmth was pleasant and he felt a warmth inside his chest. This was a precious moment, and Grima laughed when Vaike and Barst drew in their arm wrestling contest while Naverre and Lon'qu rolled their eyes. _

~*~

He woke a little after sunrise, the book he was reading on his side table. He noticed that he was tucked into his bed and blushed. Carefully getting out of bed Grima got dressed and came to breakfast. He noticed a few people were up, and scooted over to Chrom.

Breakfast was a quiet affair and Grima noticed everyone seemed happy. It was going to be a good day.

~*~

In the ten years since Grima had arrived to Ylisse a lot had changed. Grima himself was charged with the role of the Shepherd's Tactician, and the present Lucina had grown into a beautiful woman in that time. The future Lucina had left for a journey as had most of the future Shepherds, making things a little quieter in the garrison.

Grima assumed that his current predicament wasn't going to make Chrom happy.

It started innocently enough, he became close friends with the present Lucina, and genuinely enjoyed the company of future and present Lucina. The future one's departure had...pushed the issue.

He hadn't meant to steal the present Lucina's first kiss. Though to be fair, it was  _ his _ first kiss too.

He still didn't completely grasp the human rules of courting and eventual mating. He understood more social conventions, but he had a feeling Chrom wouldn't be happy about the particular situation.

Which was why Grima was sat across from Maribelle, guiltily blushing as he asked her for advice on the situation.

Only for Maribelle to ask him if he was happy with Lucina and wanted to be by her side. Which was why he was blushing in the first place.

"She's a grown woman now, so it's between the two of you." Maribelle said calmly, "Much like Nowi and Vaike. Though I can say it's your call too Robin." Maribelle explained and she held out a plate of Grima's favourite biscuts. He quietly took one and said a soft, 'thank you' before he nibbled on it lost in thought.

Maribelle was right, he  _ did _ love Lucina. It was just a different kind of love he'd not experienced before.

That wasn't to say he didn't love his friends, of course he loved them, it just wasn't the same kind of love. He didn't expect a lesson in courting though if he was honest, he appreciated Maribelle's guidance. He just hoped Chrom wouldn't be upset over it.


	12. 10: To Love and Care

Chrom noticed the subtle difference between Grima and the present version of his daughter's relationship as affection positively bloomed between them to his lack of surprise. Chrom honestly hoped for a little more time but knew his daughter was a grown woman and he couldn't be around to protect her forever, even if he wanted to.

Seeing Grima smile...and how happy Lucina was by his side it was only a matter of time before the pair had their relationship continuing to grow to a more intimate level.

Chrom happened to be surprised when Grima sought Maribelle's advice and was as shy as ever, blushing noticeably as Maribelle asked the same questions Chrom would have asked himself. Chrom decided not to reveal he knew, knowing that Grima had a reason for seeking Maribelle out.

He'd give Grima the time he needed. In the meantime Chrom would wait for when Grima was ready to talk about the relationship that was blooming between the young manakete and Chrom's daughter.

~*~

The fine spring weather came as Grima mused on what his next move should be. A part of him wanted to simply do as nature demanded, spending the fine weather courting Lucina as the season for breeding was upon them in full force and while Grima wasn't completely a slave to that instinctive behaviour it was there, however slight in his perception. Annoying him at inopportune moments creating arousal that was difficult to shake off. Thankfully Bantu was all too familiar with the pull of the breeding season and Grima spent some of the time speaking with the old fire dragon about ways to combat the situation as best he could.

They weren't perfect but they did help.

It allowed Grima to enjoy the more platonic moments he and Lucina shared. Watching the flowers explode in the royal gardens for one, arm in arm as they enjoyed the fine weather and Grima enjoying the small gestures between them. Lucina's smiles, the way she brightened when he showed her the nesting robins in the maple grove where her father supposedly knocked the wall in at training, and a feeling he couldn't fully explain.

They lay under the old tree, canopy shading them as Lucina spoke about the various shapes she saw in the clouds, Grima smiling slightly as he took her in. He blushed when she rested her head on his chest and their fingers naturally entwined. Ever since that first kiss it had been almost impossible to not have another one shared between them.

According to Maribelle the proper decorum dictated that he ask Chrom for Lucina's hand in marriage and Grima wasn't sure he was exactly ready for that. Yet feeling her resting on his chest, the warmth shared between them made him feel…

Safe.

He was gently running his fingers through her hair and found himself wondering just  _ how _ he was going to broach the topic with Chrom. He knew his feelings were more than just the desire to simply mate, Bantu had helped Grima come to understand exactly what it was he was feeling.

It was rare but sometimes a dragon could fall in love, much like humans seeking a mate that wasn't just 'a mate' in the sense of breeding but a partner, someone who they shared with to return to again and again, no matter the breeding season, for many breeding seasons.

Something of a monogamous pairing.

Grima sighed softly, focusing on the warmth of the moment between them. He heard the all too familiar steps of Chrom, but wasn't sure he wished to disturb Lucina in her content state. Yet he was tense, as the position they were in was more intimate than simple friends...

Grima tried not to blush but seeing as it wasn't unusual for Chrom to go by this particular spot, he was bound to spot the young couple. Grima tensed and wondered if they were  _ too _ intimate for an as yet not-quite-courting couple. He heard the tell tale sound of cloth rustling as Chrom sat beside them. Grima was surprised to see the slight smile on the man's face.

Not what he was anticipating in the slightest in terms of reactions.

"Enjoying the afternoon?" Chrom asked softly as not to disturb Lucina who'd fallen asleep. Grima nodded, unsure if he should speak, "That's good. Hopefully Frederick won't find me for another hour."

Grima snorted, "Doubtful." He said lightly and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Grima sighed. Dancing around the point wasn't his strongest suit, and he spoke, "I uh...spoke with Maribelle…" he said, feeling uneasy even though Chrom was calm. Chrom made a soft noise encouraging Grima to say only what he felt comfortable with and the young manakete blushed,

"I hope she wasn't too hard on you." Chrom said gently, "She's very...high standards."

Grima nodded and they lapsed into another silence. Grima could feel Lucina's steady breathing and decided to take the next step, one he knew he shouldn't exactly put off, "She...said that in marriage a man should ask his lover's father for her hand."

Chrom smiled gently and brushed Grima's hair off of his face, "You have my blessing Robin, if that is what you're asking."

Grima jolted, surprised. Yet Chrom was still smiling. He wasn't as angry as Grima feared. The young manakete blushed again, and Chrom grinned, "Thank you Chrom." Grima said quietly.

~*~

It was just after the end of the spring festival when Grima finally plucked up enough courage to propose to the present Lucina and officially become a courting couple in the eyes of the Ylissean court. There were many unhappy nobles but Lucina was happy she didn't have to sit through suitors she had no interest in. She was allowed to spend time with Grima, not all of her time, but more than just fleeting moments.

The wedding was set to happen in the first month of summer, for exceptional luck and while there were a few superstitions that were annoying to avoid, Grima supposed he didn't mind. Partly because she was so excited and he wanted her to be as happy as he felt and partly because it was something he wished to experience at least in one human lifetime.

In the meantime, he was free to enjoy the time spent with Lucina and the warmth that they shared between them. Bantu and Chrom were always smiling knowingly for some reason when Grima would bring Lucina with him to the greenhouse to enjoy their usual walks among the dragonflowers.

The pair enjoyed the spring weather and Grima noticed the generally high morale around the castle. He wondered if his courting Lucina had anything to do with it. Then he discarded the notion. He wasn't  _ that _ important to warrant the morale increase. It was probably the spring festival that had them all in high spirits.

~*~

He'd decided on a whim to visit the library, fireball floating above him. He was aware it was late, but his dreams kept him from sleeping. He had the same nightmare a few times before and it was one he hated.

His creator stood over him, with a weapon to kill the young dragon as Grima was too powerful for the man to stand.

Grima always woke before he could fight back, to protect himself.

He sniffed softly and found the hidden passage that took him to his office. Stepping into the room neat piles of papers Grima quietly shifted through the work he'd not yet completed and as he did so he settled into a rhythm that soothed him. His tears eventually dried and he didn't noticed the door open but he did notice Chrom's scent,

"Dueling with unpleasant thoughts Robin?" Chrom asked gently and Grima spoke,

"Bad dreams." He replied and Chrom let out a soft hum of understanding,

"I'm not surprised." He said as he sat down across from Grima, "I have had a few myself that like to keep me up at night."

Grima looked up surprised, he didn't think anyone as brave and noble as Chrom would be subjected to such things. It did however make sense. The humans had been through several wars by this point and while Grima wasn't around for them, he still could see the scars. Especially when they spoke of the experience. He was determined to create a world where no one had to see those horrors if he could help it. He was apparently revered as a god in Plegia, so in theory it wouldn't be too difficult to ask it of them...but maybe that was the problem. Grima wasn't a human and thus wasn't able to understand their reasoning for war.

He sighed sadly. There had to be  _ something _ he could do. So that Chrom wouldn't hurt more. But his creator's choice of an undead army was a horrible one and Grima didn't  _ want _ to be like the man. He wanted to keep his friends safe, to keep seeing Lucina smile. To make it so that they wouldn't have to fight wars because someone wanted to fight against them.

Somehow Grima would find the way to save his friends. Somehow.


End file.
